Central to the University of Waterloo’s mission is the creation and dissemination of knowledge. As new scholars, graduate students are expected to disclose and publicly defend their research results to ensure review from their peers and acceptance and inclusion of their findings in open scholarly discourse. At times, graduate students may wish to protect their research results, particularly when they contain material of commercial or marketable value, or when restricted by a publication agreement. Similarly, students may require accessibility accommodations or engage in sensitive research areas which may present personal risks. These unique circumstances may result in a thesis and/or thesis defence being Held Without Public Disclosure.
The following theses have been submitted to the Faculty of Science Graduate Office and are available, unless otherwise noted, for review by any member of the University during the display period only. The display period is the time between the posting of the thesis and the examination date.
January 2026 PhD Defences
Monday, January 5, 2026 at 1:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: James WILLIS
Title: Field-Theoretic Simulations of Binary Blends of Complementary Diblock Copolymers
Supervisor: Mark Matsen
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: PHY 352
Thursday, Janurary 8, 2026 at 4:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Ahmed MOHAMED
Title: Analysis of Neural Networks with Physics Applications
Supervisor: David Yevick
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: Remote via MS TEAMS
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 9:30:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Ella HABIBZADEH
Title: Enhanced Performance and Stability of Planar Heterojunction Solar Cells via Hole Transport Layer Engineering and Low-Cost Fabrication
Supervisor: Tong Leung
Department: Chemistry
Location/Method: Remote via MS TEAMS
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 11:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Stephen HARRIGAN
Title: Electroluminescence in the Classical and Quantum Regime in Undoped GaAs/AlGaAs Heterostructures
Supervisor: Jonathan Baugh and Michael Reimer
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: QNC 2101
Friday, January 23, 2026 at 10:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Tyler HODDER
Title: Laurentide Ice Sheet dynamics across multiple glacial interglacial cycles from Quaternary Stratigraphic records in thewestern Hudson Bay Lowland, central Canada
Supervisor: Martin Ross and Olav Lian
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location/Method: EIT 2053
Monday, February 23, 2026 at 1:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Lars KAMIN
Title: From Asymptotic to Finite-Size Security in Decoy-State Quantum Key Distribution
Supervisor: Norbert Lütkenhaus
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: QNC 2101
December 2025 PhD Defences
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Atiyeh AHMADI
Title: Microfluidics meet predictive modeling: spatiotemporal characterization of antagonism in bacterial communities
Supervisor: Brian Ingalls
Department: Biology
Location/Method: RCH 212
Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 9:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Garima LAKHANPAL
Title: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Dairy Systems
Supervisor: Nandita Basu and Owen Fenton
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location/Method: E2 - 2350
Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 3:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Yousef ROHANIZADEGAN
Title: A Neural-network-based Solver for the Three Dimensional Shape of Vesicle Membranes
Supervisor: Jeff Chen
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: Remote via MS TEAMS
Friday, December 5, 2025 at 9:30:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Delaney NASH
Title: Detection and Characterization of Viruses in the Environment Using Established and Novel Sequencing Approaches
Supervisor: Trevor Charles and Jozef Nissimov
Department: Biology
Location/Method: STC 2002
Friday, December 5, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Franklin FRASCA
Title: Polymeric Oil Additives and their Small Molecule Analogues Studied via Pyrene Excimer Fluorescence
Supervisor: Jean Duhamel
Department: Chemistry
Location/Method: C2 361
Monday, December 8, 2025 at 10:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Artem ZHUTOV
Title: Systems and Control Protocols for Universal Neutral Atom-Array Quantum Processor
Supervisor: David Cory and Alexandre Cooper-Roy
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: QNC 2101
Monday, December 8, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Nikhil BARUA
Title: Machine Learning Approaches for Thermoelectric Performance Predictions
Supervisor: Holger Kleinke
Department: Chemistry
Note: Held Without Public Disclosure
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 9:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Hasti FIROOZMAND
Title: The Enhancement and Optimization of CO₂ Sequestration in Saline Aquifers
Supervisor: Yuri Leonenko
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location/Method: Remote via MS TEAMS
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 9:30:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Caleb RYAN
Title: Personality, Individuality, and the Social Lives of Bats
Supervisor: Hugh Broders
Department: Biology
Location/Method: B1 266
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 10:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Shlok NAHAR
Title: A proof-technique-independent framework for detector imperfections in QKD
Supervisor: Norbert Lütkenhaus
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: QNC 2101
Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 10:00:00 AM
PhD Candidate: Jesse ST. JEAN
Title: The examination of bacteriophage M13-based miniphagemids as a platform for the delivery of genetic material for neuronal applications
Supervisor: Roderick Slavcev
Department: School of Pharmacy
Location/Method: School of Pharmacy Rm 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
PhD Candidate: Ali SYED
Title: Evaluating Pharmacy Students’ Practice Readiness: Insights from Academic and Experiential Performance at University of Waterloo
Supervisor: Sherilyn Houle and Nancy Waite
Department: School of Pharmacy
Location/Method: School of Pharmacy Rm 7007
January 2026 MSc Defences
Monday, January 5, 2025 at 1:30:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Nutan RAUNIYAR
Title: Characterizing Tele-optometry Patients in a Multi-site Private Practice Setting
Supervisor: Stan Woo and Elizabeth Irving
Department: School of Optometry and Vision Science
Location/Method: Optometry Rm 341
Monday, January 12, 2026 at 10:00:00 AM
MSc Candidate: Della ZHOU
Title: Vegetation and open water carbon greenhouse gas fluxes of urban stormwater ponds
Supervisor: Fereidoun Rezanezhad and Philippe Van Cappellen
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location/Method: EIT 2053
Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 1:30:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Noelle STARLING
Title: Leveraging long term water quality monitoring data to elucidate drivers and controls on N and P loading in the Lake Winnipeg Basin
Supervisor: Philippe Van Cappellen and Chris Parsons
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location/Method: EIT 2053
Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 10:00:00 AM
MSc Candidate: Gebremedhin DAGNEW
Title: Modeling Logical Error Rates in Surface-Code Quantum Computing based on Lattice Surgery and Applications
Supervisor: Roger Melko
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: Remote via MS TEAMS
December 2025 MSc Defences
Monday, December 1, 2025 at 2:30:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Stephen WANG
Title: Mine Tailings as Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Multi-Site Investigation Incorporating Isotopic Signatures
Supervisor: Carol Ptacek and David Blowes
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location/Method: EIT 2053
Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Anastasiia KURNOSOVA
Title: Investigating the Potential Role of Pic2 protein in Mitochondrial Copper Transport using 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘦
Supervisor: Moira Glerum
Department: Biology
Location/Method: B1 - 266
Friday, December 5, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Julian MEUNIER
Title: Micro-Calorimeter X-Ray Spectroscopy of Galaxy Clusters using the XRISM X-Ray Observatory
Supervisor: Brian McNamara
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: PHY 352
Monday, December 8, 2025 at 3:00:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Gyeongsu KIM
Title: Total Synthesis and Stereochemical Assignment of Turnercyclamycin C
Supervisor: Scott Taylor
Department: Chemistry
Location/Method: C2 278
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 10:00:00 AM
MSc Candidate: Mehraveh HOSSEINALI
Title: Development of Hybrid Non-Enveloped Viral Vectors Using Bacterial Miniphagemid Platform
Supervisor: Roderick Slavcev and Marc Aucoin
Department: School of Pharmacy
Location/Method: Remote
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 10:30:00 AM
MSc Candidate: Shayna MEINZINGER
Title: The Forces Behind the Flux: Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrous Oxide Dynamics and Their Environmental Drivers in Restored Agricultural Wetlands
Supervisor: Tonya DelSontro
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Note: Held Without Public Audience
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 11:00:00 AM
MSc Candidate: Jordan FRANCIS
Title: The Contributions of ESRP1 to the Functions of the Intestinal Epithelium
Supervisor: Natoya Peart
Department: Biology
Location/Method: PHY 150
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 2:00:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Carolyn CHEN
Title: Studies on the Characterization and Measurement Optimization of Superconducting Microwave Resonators
Supervisor: Jan Kycia
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Location/Method: PHY 352
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 9:30:00 AM
MSc Candidate: Karyman Ahmed Fawzy GHANEM
Title: Addressing Informal Caregiver Burden: Technology and Toolkit for Medication Management in Older Adult
Supervisor: Tejal Patel
Department: School of Pharmacy
Location/Method: Pharmacy PHR 7007
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Alexander LI
Title: Polyelectrolyte templated synthesis and formation behavior of high entropy alloys
Supervisor: Vivek Maheshwari
Department: Chemistry
Location/Method: C2 361
Friday, December 12, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM
MSc Candidate: Jordan LAU
Title: Development and Evaluation of Hydrophobic Catalysts for Deuterium Enrichment in a Gas-Vapor Reactor
Supervisor: Rodney Smith
Department: Chemistry
Note: Held Without Public Disclosure